Overview day 202 - 223
23 May - 13 June 2023
Italy part 1 - De boat to Genoa
Morocco has one last surprise for us: rain. Lots of it. It is 40Km cycling from the city of Tangier to the port from where our boat departs. In 40Km you can get quite wet. We are not sure whether we are allowed to use the access for the cars with our bicycles or whether we go on the ship with the passengers on foot. Fortunately, we are well helped along the way. Arriving at the check-in desk, we are sent back to the entrance for cars. Our bikes do not fit through the scanner. That means cycling 3Km back, through the rain. It’s just the way it is, and then we can get on the boat immediately, we thought at the time. But sadly that was not the case. From 16:30 to 21:30 we are still on the quay waiting for the boat to arrive (18:00); the cars and people have disembarked (20:00), the containers have been unloaded and the new containers have been loaded again (21:30). But then we are finally allowed to go on board! Dinner is still being served in the restaurant. On to Italy.
On the boat
The crossing takes 3 nights so we are glad we booked a cabin. We have our own bed with a small on suite bathroom. On the boat itself there is theoretically a lot to do. There is a theatre, a casino, several restaurants and also a swimming pool. But there are ZERO performances planned, the casino is closed and the pool is empty. The “swimming pool” has been re-purposed as a pub where many people sit playing cards, are smoking, drinking and/or using shisha. Not everyone has booked a cabin either, so the corridors are used as a bedroom.
So the boat is not really a highlight for us but we eagerly use the time it offers us. The food on the boat is adequate and that makes up for a lot. In Barcelona we moor briefly so that we have a few hours of contact with the outside world and then we sail on to Genoa.
Back in Europe
We arrive in Genoa around 08:30 and we get through border control without any problems. Around 09:00 we sit on a terrace enjoying our first Italian coffee and a focaccia. Because it is still early, we decide to leave Genoa for what it is and cycle along the coast to the south. The ocean is clear blue, the sun is shining and for the first time in ages we no longer see plastic along the road. Instead of piles of plastic burning along the road, we can now smell the blossom of the flowers that are in full bloom. The first kilometers immediately set the bar high for the coming period.
Visitors
The following days we make a lot of kilometers because we will be busy in the coming days. Several messages have come in from friends who are also in Tuscany, so we are just going to visit them all. Our first stop is our old roommate. Janne has settled down with a group of friends in a beautiful location and we are welcomed with open arms by a somewhat hung-over group. After a hearty breakfast and a dip in the pool we join the group to a wine tasting. That evening we enjoy a delicious bbq and a drink in the garden of the villa they rented. There is a room left, so we can also stay the night. For us a great day and really that “holiday feeling”. Janne and Nathan, and the rest who may be reading this: A thousand thanks! Or as the Italians would say: Grazie Mille.
The next morning we are out the door well before the first hangovers, on our way to two friends who happened to rent an apartment nearby. We book a campsite nearby and we spend that afternoon and evening catching up, eating pizza and chatting as usual. Good food and good company never gets boring. We continue cycling to our next address, but will meet Bart and Whitney again later.
Again highly honored visit
Isabelle’s parents were supposed to come to Italy but decided not to because of the bad weather forecast. But as changeable as the weather, so were their plans. So we cycle to a campsite on the Italian coast where Ruud and Mirjam are waiting for us. We stay 4 nights at the campsite and from there we make several trips. The older generation can keep up with us on the E-bike. They claim that they ride on the lowest support, we will have to believe that 😉
Just like with Rob’s parents, it is nice that we can talk “in real life” again. No delay on the line and no stuttering image on a small phonescreen. It is nice to see each other again after 7 months, even if it is only for a few days.
The last visit
We cycle a little further south, towards Piombino, where we meet again with Bart and Whitney. Again we make several trips but this time by car. It really feels like a holiday again, partly because of the beautiful weather we have. Bart and Whitney also for you: A thousand thanks for driving us around, delivering groceries, picking us up and returning us, the pleasant evenings, etc. etc. Grazie Mille!
(Next time we win again with bariba Whit!)
Dependent on ourselves again
After two busy and pleasant weeks that felt more like a holiday than a trip, we continue our journey. Our plans change several times but eventually we decide to cycle “back” to Florence. We wanted to visit the city anyway and it hasn’t happened yet. Our route winds through Tuscany and when we set up our tent at a campsite near Florence we have already covered more than 700Km in Italy. The 7000Km total limit has also been crossed.
Florence
This time it’s Rob’s turn to develop his talents as a city guide. The evening before we enter Florence, a route is mapped out and some information is looked up for each highlight. Isabelle selects the best gelato cafe in town.
From the campsite there is a shuttle to the nearest bus station from where we are in Florence in less than half an hour. Cities: Usually not really our thing. Florence is the exception, beautiful buildings on every street corner, a rich history, nice food- and drink-bars and the coffee is affordable. Busy in Florence? Very busy! But we were prepared for that. We don’t necessarily have to visit museums anyway, and certainly not if we have to queue for hours. Our trip lasts about 5 hours and then we look for a terrace. Time to enjoy a good glass of Tuscan wine.
Calcio Storico
We came to Florence today (June 11, 2023) for another reason. We have tickets for Calcio Storico. We happened to bump into that when we read up on the city. Calcio Storica (or Calcio Fiorentino) is an early form of football. But if you ask us, it’s more like cage fighting. Anyway, more on that later.
The event starts with a procession through the historic centre of Florence. Everyone in the procession wears military clothing from the16th century and the parade accompanies the players of the tournament to the Piazza Santa Croce – the battlefield. There are 4 teams participating in the tournament, one team from each district of the city. We encourage team green. The players are welcomed as true gladiators and the enthusiasm and fanaticism of the audience is infectious.
Rules of the game
A match lasts 50 minutes and is played on an area of 50 by 100 meters covered with sand. The area is divided into two identical squares by a center line, and a goal net runs the width of each end. Each team consists of 27 players. We do not yet know the exact rules, but the intention is to get the ball into the opponent’s net. How that happens, that doesn’t really matter. A number of maneuvers are prohibited. Head knocks, elbow bumps, strangulation and throwing sand in the opponent’s eyes are not examples of this.
Everyone in the field smashes each other in the head, when more than half of the players are knocked out, a brave player tries to run towards the opponent’s goal like a kind of kamikaze pilot. Team red succeeds more often than team green.
Team green quickly fell behind 3-0. They make it exciting for a while by making it 3-2 but with an obvious 6-2 the red team eventually steps off the field as the winner. Those “lucky ones” can risk their lives again on June 24, when they play the final against team blue.
How's cycling in Italy for us?
The weather reports initially predicted nothing but rain, rain and more rain. Then there were the news reports about floods and you can imagine that we were no longer so enthusiastic about going to Italy. But in the first two weeks we have nothing to complain about the weather. We cycle twice through a shower, but for the rest we have wonderful weather.
We can see that it has rained a lot. Everything around us is green and in full bloom, it sometimes feels like we are cycling through the jungle. The warm weather and the humid air make us sweat a lot on the bike.
The campsites are top notch, although a bit pricy, but you get something in return. A nice flat piece of grass, a hot shower and often a swimming pool. With a bit of luck (or research) they also offer extra services such as a wine tasting.
We don’t have to climb real mountains, but the landscape is hilly as soon as we cycle inland. So some days we still make a lot of altimeters. Almost all roads are paved but occasionally we end up from the asphalt on a gravel path that leads to a forest road that ends in a forest path. Fortunately, we learn quickly how to avoid those “dead ends”. The asphalt is not of top quality as we are used to in the Netherlands. Potholes and cracks are the norm. Isabelle often cycles in front and with hand signals she makes it clear where the road surface leaves something to be desired. So far, so good (knock on wood).
And finally
We usually end our blogs with the plan for the near future. The plan was to stay in Italy and cycle through the boot from heel to toe. But due to circumstances we will go back to the Netherlands for a short period.
Does that mean the end of our journey? Of course not!
We make a virtue out of necessity. In the Netherlands we can arrange some practical matters (such as buying new bicycles) and we can see our friends and family again. We don’t know yet what our journey will look like after that. But we’ll jump back in the saddle for sure.
so to be continued….
Dear Rob& Isabelle! As always beautiful pictures! We wish you a safe and not too wet time in Italy, a clear recomendation is the area north and around of Bolzano, quite hilly but beautiful! All the best from Chaioso! Thomas & Rosa